Cigarette dispenser



Fell 10 194.3 `F. v; HlGGiNs 2,435,782

CIGARETTE DISPENSER Filed Apr'l 13, 1946 Parenteel Feb. 1o, 194s UNITED `STA'I'ES PATENT OFFICE 2,435,782 CIGARETTE DISPENSER Francis Vincent .Higgins` Fayetteville, N'. Y.

Application April 13, 1946, "Scritti No."i62,074

(Cl. :B12-777i 7 Claims. l

'This invention relates to improvements in cigi arette dispensers of the ty-pe in which a Vsingle cigarette -is automatically dispensed .each time the device `'is actuated, the remaining `cigarettes being retainedlin a suitable 'containeruntil required.

In dispensersof thiskind it is desirable to have a4 substantially closed containerto protect the y cigarettes .from excessive .drying out and from dnst'iand to .have positive lmean-s Afor dispensing a single' undamaged 'cigarette for ,the user when desired. Heretofore the means employed `for dis pensing cigarettes have involved mechanisms `whichwere either complica-.ted :in structure vor were .easily-clogged by loose tobacco particles or Whichfwere .not positive in action or in which the cigarettes were' liable to be squeezed, torn, `'or mangled soethat Athey .could not be smoked.

An object. of Amy invention :is to provide a dispenser 'which' is extremely simple in construction, positive in action,.a.nd1in 'which the .cigarette `is presented `to the smoker without having been subjected to torceable xneclranicalv action or any mechanical :action `other-than the action of gravity resulting from tilting vthe container itself and nwhichthere is no possibility that the cigarette maybe torn or injured. A further object of my invention .is to provide a dispenser in which the cigarettes are Vretained in Aa substantially closed moisture-prooiv container so as to retain their original moisture content as lon-g :as possible l.and to avoid contamination Vfrom dust or handling. Another .objectzsof vmy invention is to provide ya dispenser 'which isl easily manufactured principallyuby'a pressing, stamping, or molding yoperation and whichfis attractive in appeenance..interesting'to operate, `and suitable for use in the home as an acceptable smokers article.

.According to my invention, these objects -are nccomplishedbyxa dispenser, ,preferably made 4of transparent plastic, in which the container itself is piyotedrso that -it may be tilted and. thetigarettes caused :to siidevdown a ramp or inclinedV plane bythe force `ci" gravity :to an Vopeningin the container where theirst cigarette vin Vline .is :caught and cradled. by an indentation in a pair ofl arms .4

or. in a. trough. The opening in the container need not be any larger than necessary topermit it. single cigarettefto roll through :and thus excessiveevaporation of moisture is avoided. By reason ofthe tilting Lof the container, the: lcigarette is caused toroli tothe opening by `its own weight and .at no time is it seized, pushed, or propelled by mechanical means so that all iniiury to the cigarette Iisavoided. The simplicity of the action and simplicity of construction permits easy :2 and inexpensivemanufacture and also provides an attractive and interesting device for dispensing cigarettes;

iIn 'the accompanying drawings:

` Fig. il `is-a vertical sectional view ofthe preferredfform` oi the dispenser in normal position'. idg. ziisa vertical ,section .of `the preferred form of thedlspenser in elevated position.

Figg 311s a; plan view'of the preferred form.

Referring toFlgs. l1 'to l3 of the drawings, the base member I is preferably a 'rectangular sheet of plastic sumciently thick so as `to form a stable supporting member. Any good Wood such as mahogany or walnut may also be used to form an attractive andsuitable base. Mounted upon said baseis supporting `member 2 which may, as shown, be asingle block-of plastic, wood, lor'other material. The supporting member 2 acts as a support for container i3 'and ,also as a stop to prevent theeontainer :from tilting beyond the point necessary to permit the cigarettes to roll to the opening r4- in the container. Members 5 and 6 are also mounted on the support. The supporting member may, of course, be divided into two supports 'functioning in like manner.

The container` 3 is preferably made of transe parent :plastic to permit observation of the cig-.- arettesrolling to the vopening and also to disclose the quantity .of cigarettes remaining in the container. .Itrnay be provided with a pair of connecting members, one on each side. These members are .piyotedto the supporting member at 1 and 8. In the preferred v-i'orm the connecting members are extensions of' the sides 9 and l0 and are slig-lfltlyV rounded .at the bottom corner to permit the container to `pivot freely in the `direction shown 1in: Fig'. .2.

.Mounted ein the 4container is a ram-p or surface H Iwhich divides :the container into a portion from Whichscigarettes' are .dispensed and a storage portion i! :tn asupply of cigarettes may be kept until needed. l'lille upperiend of the ramp is arranged ndiiacent tine-:slot lland the lower Vend rests upon the'bottom of' the container. When the container is tilted, the cigarettes in the .dispensing portion-are caused toroll up the tramp to the slot by Vthonet-ion 10i gravi-ty.. The ramp may be. hinged so that ittmaybeswung aside and permit access to the storage' portion.

The container is 4provided with a cover I3 which in 'thepmeierred form isk hinged a1; |14 with -a` Y spring,` liingea `lt is :shorter than the opening in of the cigarettes is maintained.

Arms I and I6 are hinged to the container at I1 near the slot or opening. These arms are provided with substantially U-shaped indentations I8 and I9 adjacent their ends.' Projections 20 and 2I are formed on the arms beyond the indentations, and, when the container is tilted, they are in substantially the same plane as the ramp.l

As the lower end of the ramp is then higher than the slot, the cigarette rolls through the slot and is caught in the indentations. When the container returns to its normal position, the projections 20 and 2I hold the cigarette in the indentations and prevent it from sliding back into the container. It may thus be picked up by the smoker and used.

The container may be swung on its pivot by means of a handle 22 on the opposite end of the container. In the preferred form the tilting isA accomplished by the action of the arms I5 and I 6. These arms may be connected to the supporting hinged members 5 and 6 and a cross member 23 may extend between them. The lever action provided Vby this construction permits the user of the device to operate it by a slight pull upon the cross member 23.

Fig. 2 shows the containerin a tilted position with the cigarette rolling along the ramp which is noW tilted towards the slot. The projections 2 0 and 2I are shown in a position whereby a cigarette may roll over and pass them and into the indentations provided in the arms. The angie which the arms form with respect to the container prevents more than one cigarette from sliding through the opening. Thus, when the container is returned to its normal position, only one cigarette remains cradled in the indentations and is tendered to the smoker.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: The cover is removed from the container and the ramp is either swung out of the way if hinged or removed if that modification is employed. The part of the container which acts as a storage space is iilled with cigarettes and the ramp replaced in position. The remainder of the container is then lled with cigarettes leaving some space so that the cigarettes may move freely when the container is tilted. The cover is then replaced and the dispenseris ready for operation. In the preferred form of operation the cross arm 23 is grasped and moved in the direction away from the container. This causes the container to tilt upwardly on the pivoted axis. The ramp which theretofore was inclined laway from the discharge opening now slants towards the discharge opening causing'the cigarettes, by action of gravity, to roll towards the discharge' opening. The iirst cigarette through the discharge opening falls into the cradle formed in the arms and because of the relative position and the arms prevents any subsequent cigarettes from following. As the pull on the cross arm is released, the container returns to its normal position causing the remaining cigarettes to roll backinto the container, the projections on the arms forming the indentation holding the discharged cigarette until it can be picked off by the smoker.

"Having thus described my invention, I claim:

ya discharged cigarette.

1. In a cigarette dispenser the combination of a base member, a container having an opening for receiving cigarettes in the top thereof and being pivotably connected at one end to the base member, a cover for said receiving opening, said cover being shorter than the opening so that when in place on the container, said cover forms a discharge opening in the container at the pivoted end thereof, a ramp extending diagonally from the discharge opening to 'a point on the bottom of the container and a pair of arms operably connected to the container near the discharge opening to tilt the same, each of said arms j having an indentation at the connected end for the purpose of receiving and holding a discharged cigarette.

2. In a cigarette dispenser the combination of a base member, a container pivotably connected at one end to the base member and having a discharge opening at the top of the pivoted end, a ramp in said container leading to the discharge opening from the bottom of the container and a pair of arms operably connected to the container at the discharge opening, each of said arms hav,- ing a substantially U-shaped indentation near the connected end to receive and hold a discharged cigarette and means for actuating said arms to tilt the container on its pivot.

3. In a cigarette dispenser the combination of a base member, a container pivotably connected at one end to the base member and having a discharge opening at the top of the pivoted end. a ramp in said container leading to the discharge opening from the bottom of the container, a pair of arms operably connected to the container ad jacent the discharge opening and having substantially U-shaped indentations near the con-v nected ends to receive and hold a discharged cigarette, and a pair of supporting' members piv-Y otably attached at one end of the base member and pivotably attached at the other to the arms:l 4. In a cigarette dispenser the combinationl of a base member, a container pivotably'r'nounted at one end on said base member and/having a discharge opening at the top thereof at the pivo'ted end, a receiving opening for the insertion of cigarettes, a hinged cover for said receiving opening, a ramp bisecting the'container from the bottom thereof to the discharge opening, means operably connected to the container nearV the discharge opening and operating to tilt the con; tainer, said means having projections at the connected end to receive a discharged cigarette when the container is tilted and' to hold it when the container returns to its normal position.

5. In a cigarette dispenser the combination of a base member, a container pivotably mounted at one end on said base member having a discharge opening at the top thereof vat the pivoted end and having an opening for receiving cigarettes, a' hinged cover for said opening, a ramp bisectingthe container from the bottom through tothe discharge opening, arms pivotably connected to the container near the discharge opening and operating to tilt the container, Said armshaving projections at the pivoted end to receive and hold l6. In a cigarette dispenser the combination of a base member, a container pivotably mounted at one end'on said base member and Ihaving a slot in the top thereof at the pivoted end for discharging cigarettes, an opening for receiving cigarettes, a ramp bisecting the container from the slot to the point at the bottom of the ycontainerand 'a pair of arms operably connected to the container adjacent the slot to pivot the container, said arms having substantially U-shaped indentations at the pivoted ends to receive and hold a discharged cigarette.

7. In a cigarette dispensez` the combination of 5 ndentations at the ends adjacent to the slot and 15 operating to tilt the container and to receive and hold a discharged cigarette.

FRANCIS VINCENT HIGGINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS lo Number Name Date 248,184 Landis Oct. 11, 1881 1,062,503 Reed May 20, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 403,807 Germany 1924 

